Spa In A Jar ~ DIY Valentine’s Day Gift In A Jar

A gift in a jar will not only impress the recipient but it is also fun to make! I am taking the gift jar idea a bit further by combing it with Valentine’s Day ideas. Last week, I shared the Ice Skating Date In A Jar. This week I am showing how to make a Spa In A Jar so you can have a relaxing spa date at home! I have some home spa treatment recipes from previous posts so I included them in this mason jar.

A Spa In A Jar could be given for many occasions besides Valentine’s Day! Myteen saw me making it and said she would love to have it when I was done. If you are making this for a date, be sure to make two jars so that you can each use all the treatments!

Slowly add the items to the jar with the content labels facing the outside so that the recipient can easily see what is in the jar. It took several attempts to get everything to fit into the jar and I kept adjusting it until it looked right. Once it was all in, I printed the Spa In A Jar label and cut a length of ribbon which I attached to the jar. You can download the free printable here. I printed it by choosing “wallet size” and it was perfect.

Let’s take a little spin around the jar so that you can see it from all sides.

Wondering what else you could put in this jar? How about a face mask, lip scrub, foot scrub, pore strips, massage oil, perfume, hand cream, foot lotion, socks, eye mask and tea light candles. I am going to try to find some mini sized spa items for men so that I can assemble a jar that is specifically for men. Not that any of these items are too flowery or girly but I’m sure a guy would appreciate receiving products with scents geared toward men.

There have been a lot of questions about the exact containers I used so I purchased another package for this photo. I should’ve taken a picture before I painted the original ones but I didn’t even think it of. I found these containers at the Family Dollar in one of the food aisles as a hanging extra. You know the little things that are hanging between the items on the shelves? Each container holds 2.4 oz and they cost $1.00 for the 8 pack.

A fluffy bathrobe and cozy slippers would be the perfect things to give along with the Spa In A Jar!

Comments

Hi,
I really love the idea of the spa in a jar for a cute DIY project. I have been using your recipes to make the jar with ingredients for my research project for english class. If you would be willing to answer an interview by email for one of my sources, that would be amazing. This post is so inspiring and cute.
Thanks,
Amanda

Hi Tonia, this Spa in a Bottle is a great idea, never thought of it. My daughter is a beauty therapist and I know she would also love this. I only opened this pin today, 1 day after Christmas. But this is in time for Valentine and birthdays in between. You are sooo creative, love it. Sandra

Hey I love this idea! I am making them for my family this christmas but I wanted to add some extra things and I was wondering if you knew the name of the font you used to make them?
Thanks so much,
Lauren Richardson

I absolutely LOVE these jar ideas!!! I needed ideas for both a Secret Santa for my sister-in-law and for my daughter’s middle school teachers, and these fit the bill perfectly! I made a Spa in a Jar for my SIL – who just had a baby 4 months ago and could use some pampering – with a 1-gallon Ball mason jar from Target that cost about $15 (our budget was $50 so I could afford to splurge a bit), then I filled it with the following: a Dove revitalizing collection gift set (Purely Pampering Shea Butter Body Wash, Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo, Purely Pampering Shea Butter Beauty Bar, and body pouf); a Burt’s Bees Tips and Toes Kit (hand salve, Almond & Milk Hand Cream, Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, Coconut Foot Cream, Honey & Grapeseed Hand Cream, Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil); one each of Que Bella relaxing bath bath oil and relaxing aromatherapy mask in lavender; three French Vanilla bath bombs; and four Tahitian vanilla tea lights. Most of the things came in a gift set or package together that I then separated and packed carefully into the jar. I used the free printable “Spa in a Jar” and a pretty ribbon, and that’s it! It came out to almost precisely $50 to the penny, including the cost of the jar!! I’m almost sad to give it away, but I know she’ll love it! And for the teacher’s, I made “Energy in a Jar” kits (in 24-oz Ball mason jars that I purchased in a 9-pack) with a 100-calorie pack of cashew halves & pieces, a 1.3-oz bag of Lindt milk chocolate truffles, a chocolate chip Cliff Bar, a mini box of Sun-Maid raisins, and a single-use bag of Ghirardelli hot cocoa mix. I added the label, a cute ornament, and ribbon, and had a great gift for under $6 per person! Thanks again for the great idea – I love your site!!! Happy holidays! xo

Hi Tonia. I aboslutly loved this idea and I made some to give to my sister and mother in law! I was having trouble finding the correct sized container, but for those who are having the same trouble, Target has the perfect sized containers in their travel section.

Hi hun, I was searching through the net with my kids (5&6 yrs) & came across your gifts in a jar, the kids (both boys) love them! They are excited to make the moisturisers, body butters & sugar scrubs…. How long would you say they will last for? As I need to make them up but dont want to make them up too soon if they are going to go bad.

Hi Katya,
Thank you! The closer you make them to Christmas the better off you will be. I would suggest that you use them with a month or two to be safe. But in reality, we found some extras in our cupboard 6 months later and it was fine! Have fun!
~Tonia

This is a great idea! I’ll be making some for Christmas. One note though, be careful with the chocolate. Chocolate, especially good chocolate, will absorb scents. Just keep that in mind if you plan to make these really far in advance.

I love this post! I stumbled a crossed it will searching for gifts for my bridesmaids. I think they will love this. I tried clicking on the links to download the labels (templates), however it is not working. Is there another way I could get the download?

I think the spa jars are wonderful, thank you so much for sharing. I was considering trying them out as a door gift this year for thanksgiving so I’ve been shopping around and I’m having a hard time with the bath bombs, all the ones that I’ve come across are a little large. Did you order yours from someplace or did you make them yourself?

Hi Nicole,
Yes, I made mine but they didn’t turn out very good so I didn’t share my recipe. They kept expanding and expanding and I had to keep smashing them back into a ball. If you can’t find a bath bomb and don’t want to make your own, I would say just leave them out. Best of luck!
~Tonia

I found the test tubes at Michaels on clearance for 38 cents each. They had Halloween candy in them and they only had these 6 left. I threw away the candy, washed the test tubes and spray painted the lids silver. You could also check Amazon and Etsy. Best of luck! ~Tonia

I would like to think you. I’m 13, and this year I’m tired of receiving without giving back for Christmas. I have used almost every single one of your gift ideas for every single member of the family. They were super easy, cheap, and fun to make. This will definitely be a Christmas to remember. Thank you.

I was looking through the family dollar website and could not find the 2.4 ounce containers. I need the containers tomorrow so i cant order them. Do you know anywhere else i could buy them? Thank you! This is a really great idea!

Hi Lindsay! It’s been a couple of years since I made this jar and I don’t have that specific ribbon package anymore. I believe it measured 7/8″ and that I bought it from Joann Fabrics. But since they change what ribbon they keep in stock, they might not sell it anymore. Here is on available online though: http://www.ribbonfactory.com/store/display_item/667.html Best of luck! ~Tonia

Thanks Sharon! I spread all of the lids out on newspaper and spray painted them with multiple coats until I could no longer see the color beneath. You can use any spray paint that is made for plastics. Choose whichever color goes with the other items you put in the jar. Best of luck! ~Tonia

Tonia
We spoke earlier this year regarding how wonderful your recipes are!!! My church GA’s made these for mother’s day and they were a HUGE hit. I ahave a few questions for you. I wanted to know if we need to use B&BW lotions for the best results or if we can use any peppermint scented lotions? Also, can we use the same recipe and change the scent? I am thinking pumpkin for fall.